The things listed below were the goals I made before going to Australia. I basically came here without any plans. The only thing I had was a place to stay and a visa allowing me to work. Normally I am one of the planners, but decided that this would be the time to be a bit more «spontaneous».

➖ Meet new people
➖ Get work experience
➖ No exercising (cause my doctor said so)
➖ Learn how to do a hand stand
➖ and the perfect roll over
➖ Eat good and healthy food
➖ Travel and see new places
➖ Meditate and stretch
➖ Go to several conserts and festivals
➖ Roadtrip down the coast
➖ Take a class (meditation, cooking etc)
➖ Learn how to throw a boomerang
➖ Build a better vocabulary
➖ Relax and enjoy my stay

I have been in Sydney for about a week now. I do not know anyone except my hosts and I litterally have no plans at all. And just before I left home, I once again was told that my body needs recovery and a break from all sorts of exercising. Although I am still allowed to do things, and the fact that it could be worse, I have to admit the past few (and this particular) week has been a real challenge.

Luckily I have my family back home supporting me, which I really appreciate. And although I feel a bit homesick and «scared» of all the new things, I do know that this will be an experience of a life time. I just need to give it some time. And meanwhile I will be focusing on my new Aussie goals: STRETCHING – BREATHING – SMILING

Out of all the different cities I have been to, Los Angeles is my least favorite one. At least that is what I am thinking when writing this December 7th.

The people I have met are not that nice at all. One offered us weed at the metro station in the middle of the day and another one came right up to us, small talked for a second and wanted our money. And the worst experience was the man lying about working at Universal Studios and pretending to show us in the right direction and giving discounts. Luckily some folks warned us, and now that I look back on it I am happy we got to experience it in the begging of our stay. I did for sure learn how to be a bit more conscious about all the people I met later on.

Another thing I was a bit disappointed about was the Hollywood Boulevard. People wont leave you alone and they know how to point out the tourists in crowd (well it is pretty obvious when you get down on your knees to kiss the HWOF-stars). They keep bragging about things you to see, items to purchase and tours to do. Personally I prefer to walk down the street in my own tempo, not having to stop and scream NO several times. And like our celebrity-house-tour said: «Los Angeles is no more the big city it once was. Now a days people go to Florida and New York.»

All these things including the bad weather really made the days in Los Angeles to a bad experience. I loved Griffith Observatory and meeting Ray Kay, but except that the city did not blow my mind at all. I prefer the non-tourist things the best and New York is for sure the city closest to my heart. ♥

The past few months I have been focusing on the things that makes me smile. Like beeing with people I care about, staying healthy and working out, and of course my wanderlust. I think that we all sooner or later will understand the fact that our time is running out and that it can not be waisted on the things that does not give us anything. It does not mean we should do only the fun stuff. Everything is not meant to be all fun and games, but we have to do it to get a step closer and reaching our goals.

This is a quote from an interview with the Norwegian radio station P4. Unfortunately I could not upload it through WordPress, but I really wanted to share it with you. Some people are on a constantly surch for adrenalin rush and other needs to meditate and do yoga. Traveling is my happiness and my inspiration. And I guess you can say Tinie Tempah read my mind for a couple of seconds…

«What inspires me? I would probably say the most inspiring thing is traveling. Being able to see new places in the world, talk to new people and hear stories. (…) You being from here, and me being from somewhere else. You are from a different walk of life and I am definitely going to get something from you that I may not necessary get at home.» Copyright P4 Radio

I took this gap year to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and to be able to do more of the things that makes me happy. Going to new places, meeting new folks, talking english and everything else that comes with this journey are all things I like and worship. It is not cheap to do what I do, but all the happiness and memories are so damn worth it. Even my old English teatcher said it when I visited my old high school to fix som travel papers: You are happy now, right? I guess he was right.

«Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you or make you happy.» -Unknown

Space has always been an issue for me while traveling. Therefore I always make sure I bring clothes that are to small, worn-out or (yes, I admit it) clothes I got tired of. That way I can leave the old stuff and have plenty of space for what ever I want to bring to Norway. But instead of throwing it all away I always make sure someone else gets it. Leaving Africa I left two thirds at the lodge with a note asking if the staff could please give it to someone who needed it. After all, everything was in good condition.

I did the same thing in America. In Hawaii I left my summer clothes with a note asking for the same favor. And it is safe to say I was not in need of any of it later on. California and New York was freezing! And when leaving the latter, I stuffed a leather bag with all the clothes it could fit and went to the Salvation Army. The woman I met made such an impact on me. She told me how she had been praying for some new clothes the last few days. Knowing I made her so happy was a really good feeling. And especially now during the Holidays.

It is so easy to things like that. Even giving five bucks may help someone in need. So if you have clothes you do not wear anymore for several reasons, think of the happiness you can bring by giving it to someone who is in need of it. You do not have to be a teenage girl fighting for girls’ right to education or a celebrity worth billions of dollars. We can all make a difference by doing small things every now and then. Happy Holidays everyone!